Globe Trot: Will ISIS get more scrutiny after the election?

ELECTIONS 2014:The GOP is expected (by narrow margins) to take control of the Senate in tomorrow’s midterm elections. And oddly, that may hold some dividend for President Barack Obama. A Republican-led Senate is more likely to pass free-trade agreements with the EU and key Asia-Pacific nations—both currently under negotiation—than the Democrats.

With voters clearly unhappy with Obama’s handling for foreign policy crises—chiefly Ebola and ISIS—a Republican-led Congress will be forced to focus on more than reversing Obama’s domestic agenda (a tall order anyway). Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., would become chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and likely will demand more scrutiny of the Benghazi scandal, and more bang for the buck against ISIS in Syria and Iraq.

But McCain has been something of a loose cannon on ISIS and Syria, at one point underscoring his support for Syrian rebels by posing with an anti-government fighter who turned out to have ties to ISIS and other jihadi groups.

The Free Syrian Army the United States has been vocal about supporting got routed this weekend by the al-Qaeda backed al Nusra Front.

SYRIA:Further underscoring the difficulty of the United States fighting the Syrian government on the same side as the jihadists America also is fighting, a kidnapped American photojournalist says the Free Syrian Army handed him over to al Nusra militants—who received U.S. training in Jordan.

I returned to the F.S.A. troops. One told me that his unit had recently traveled to Jordan to receive training from American forces in fighting groups like the Nusra Front.

“Really?” I said. “The Americans? I hope it was good training.”

“Certainly, very,” he replied.

The fighters stared at me. I stared at them.

After a few moments, I asked, “About this business of fighting Jebhat al Nusra?”

“Oh, that,” one said. “We lied to the Americans about that.”

BURKINA FASO: Protesters clashed with military forces who took control of the West African country after President Blaise Compaore stepped down last week—and commanders say they will install a transitional government. Time to learn how to spell Ouagadougou, the nation’s capital.

KENYA dominated yesterday’s New York Marathon, with Wilson Kipsang winning the men’s race and Mary Keitany the women’s. Both fought cold temperatures and high winds across the city’s exposed bridges for amazingly strong finishes.

EBOLA: With focus shifted to preventing the spread of Ebola in the United States, too little focus remains on the battle to halt the epidemic in Africa, and the medical heroes fighting it. Jamie Dean, my colleague who for the past two months so ably took over Globe Trot, has a frontline report, this week’s cover story in WORLD Magazine.

Many thanks to Jamie for standing in my place here, and welcome to so many new subscribers. It’s good to be back.